Elderly Dog Question

Question
Is it possible to break an elderly dog of getting on the couch after she has been doing it for most of her life? She is a 14 year old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon with hip dysplasia, whom we are treating with various medications. The disease is getting worse and we are trying to limit any of her behaviors that could potentially cause her harm. She kind of half jumps onto the couch and then pulls herself up the rest of the way with her upper body.  Jumping off is also dangerous. Right now we have the couch blocked from her access, but she gets so frustrated and paces around and barks,  I feel bad for her. In the past, I have had a dog bed in the living room, but she would never use it. She does sleep in her bed in the bedroom. I plan to get that same bed for the living room.  If you have any ideas or training tips on how to change this behavior of jumping on the couch, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanking you in advance,
Susan

Answer

Hi Susan,

Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks, and train your dog not to get on the couch. Everyone in the household has to be on-board with the new rule, and doesn't occasionally get lax about it. If there's any inconsistency, your dog will never stop getting on your couch.

Choose a word for the command you will use to teach your dog not to go on furniture. "Off" or "down" are good command words.

Use the command word whenever your dog starts to get on furniture, or if you enter a room and find the dog already sitting on the couch. Say it firmly and a bit louder than normal conversation. Then lure the dog off the furniture and over to the dog bed with a treat. Praise your dog after it climbs down and also when it reaches the dog bed.

Once you get your dog off the couch, and have rewarded him for complying, give your dog something to do in his dog bed. Many dogs enjoy a Kong toy stuffed with "high value treats" such as peanut butter or cheese. A Kong toy occupies a dog for a length of time, which will not only keep your dog quiet, it will give him something to think about, other than wanting to be on the couch! While he's happily chewing on the Kong, praise him. Let him know what behavior pleases you.

Attach a leash to your dog's collar, if the dog is being stubborn about this. You can then gently tug on the leash as a further encouragement to the dog to get off the furniture. It is important to be gentle and not lose your temper, or yank on the leash, because if you're already dealing with a stubborn dog, it will probably resist you. The combination of a leash and a treat should always work.

Keep an eye on your dog as much as possible, because the more often you can catch the dog before it actually gets on furniture, the better your success will be. For this reason, it's a good idea during the training period to gate off or close doors to rooms with dog-tempting furniture when you're not home. If this isn't feasible, turn the cushions on the couch or chairs on end, or place aluminum foil on the furniture. Many dogs don't like aluminum foil.

If your dog is particularly stubborn, it might be helpful to use a product such as Boundary Indoor/Outdoor Repellent, or Simple Solutions Indoor/Outdoor Repellent for dogs. These products use an odor that is normal to humans, but very offensive to dogs. Once you have applied the repellent spray, your dog should avoid the item. Indoor dog repellent is not substitution for training, it's a tool you use along with the training techniques I've outlined above.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti